Change of Perspective
by Half-elf
Summary: Maddie and Estebon have been friends for a very long time. They've seen it all and done it all. But are they ready for a change in their relationship unlike any other?


AN: Hi all. This is my first foray into the Suite Life series. I was looking through some stories one day and came across an Estebon/Maddie fic and instantly fell in love with the couple. So, in response to how few there are, I just had to include another. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I neither own nor am I making any money from this story or its characters. The series and characters belong to Disney. I'm just having some fun.

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Change of Perspective

By: Half-elf

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He was just so tired.

His double shift was catching up to him. Now even the frequent cups of caffeine (oh that wonderful, wonderful substance) wasn't helping.

A nasty flu was going around Boston and, unfortunately, the Tipton wasn't immune to its affects. A large number of its staff was out, meaning that everyone else was straining to fill the gaps in the schedule. Lately it seemed that every shift was turning into a double as another person fell ill.

Stretching, he groaned as his back cracked. Thank goodness his dinner break was coming up. With a sigh he moved to the staff lounge, determined to do nothing but relax for a solid hour. Dimming the lights he sat back on the couch with relief, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes. 'Just for a minute. Just a minute…'

"Estebon?" He cracked an eye open and took in the blonde girl in front of him. Well, not a girl anymore really. She was a young woman, studying law in college. A very beautiful young woman.

He blinked at the thought and sat up straight. "Maddie?" He rubbed his eyes. "What time is it? Am I late?"

She touched his arm and gently pushed him back down. "You're fine. I was just coming to check on you." She brushed a strand of hair off his forehead. Her fingers felt so cool, so comforting, that he leaned into her touch. She smiled. "You've been working too hard; you haven't been taking care of yourself."

"I have too." He protested. She cocked an eyebrow and he smiled sheepishly. "Sort of."

"Exactly. That's why I made sure to bring you some dinner. I figured you wouldn't have eaten."

He was going to protest but his stomach disagreed… loudly. With a blush he accepted the food with a quiet 'thanks.' She smiled and settled in next to him, eating her own supper. They chatted while they ate. They talked about work and school and plans for the weekend. They talked about nothing and everything. And the entire time Estebon never felt so…peaceful.

After a while Maddie cleared her throat delicately and angled her body towards him. "Um, Estebon?"

"Hmm." He replied distractedly. He couldn't help it; she was a very good cook.

She edged closer so that her knee bumped his. "I was wondering… do you think seven years is a long time?"

He lifted his eyes from the now clean container. "Well…It would depend I guess."

She bit her lip. "Depend on what?"

"Well…" He set the container aside and turned more towards her. "Sometimes years go quickly, like when you're having fun or if you're really busy. But if you are _waiting_ for something to happen then the time will pass slowly and it will be a long time in coming." He smiled at her. "Is that what you meant?"

Shaking her head her eyes didn't meet his. "Not exactly. I meant more like…you know…years between people."

"Oh." He thought a moment. "Well, that would depend too. I think the younger the people the bigger the difference seems."

"Oh. I see." Maddie's face fell in disappointment.

Estebon nodded encouragingly. "Exactly. I mean, look at the difference between a two year old and a nine year old. Very different. But take us for example." He gestured back and forth between them. "We aren't very different at all."

She froze. "We're not?"

He wondered at the hopeful tone to her voice. "Of course not. And as we get older whatever difference there is will be even less."

He watched as she smiled. No, that was too simple a word for it. She didn't just smile, she lit up. The smile made her eyes glow and she seemed to radiate happiness. 'Ay Dios mio. She is gorgeous.'

That was his last coherent thought before she stretched up and kissed him full on the mouth.

Shock and pleasure warred for dominance within him and it was his turn to freeze. But the way she moved her mouth… he groaned and moved his own slightly in response. She purred in approval and pressed closer.

She swung her left leg around so that she straddled his lap and they were now facing each other. He rested his hands at her waist and pulled back from the kiss. "Maddie?" he choked out. "What are we-?"

Cupping his face in her hands she looked at him pleadingly. "Please." She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Please." On the corner of his mouth. "Please." On his bottom lip. "Please, just kiss me now. Later. We'll talk later." When he nodded she pressed a hungry kiss to his lips.

Groaning, he puller her tighter against him and she moaned in response. His hands skimmed over her waist, running down her bare legs. She may not be a school girl anymore but she had never seemed to give up her love for short skirts and combat boots. A fact for which he was very grateful.

His hands slipped under her skirt to caress her legs and she made a sound in the back of her throat in pleasure. He gripped her thighs in response, brushing his thumbs against the front of her legs. Skin like silk, she felt so good. Kisses like honey, she tasted so sweet. He closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss.

"Estebon." She murmured against his lips. He pulled her into another open mouthed kiss. "Estebon." He trailed kisses down her throat.

"Estebon!" His eyes snapped open and he looking into Maddie's face as she leaned over the staff coffee table. "Are you okay? Your break was over like five minutes ago."

He blinked slowly, trying to clear the sleep from his eyes. "Si, I am fine." He watched the smile bloom on her face, and his eyes were drawn to her lips. "Fine." He cleared his throat and practically fled from the room.

Maddie watched him run in confusion. "What was that about?" Then she followed him out the door and headed to her work station.

As soon as he was out of sight, Estebon leaned against the wall and banged his head lightly. "What is the matter with me? That is no way to be thinking of Maddie." He told himself sternly. "She is your friend. And she should be treated with respect. So behave yourself Estebon." He nodded firmly. "Yes. Good. I will." Then he went back to work.

But it wasn't as easy as he thought it would be to go back to seeing her as…well, as no more than a friend.

Maddie always had an expressive face and he found himself drawn to it more and more lately. Her eyes would light up when she was happy or burn when she was annoyed. Her mouth, that wonderful, lovely mouth, would attract him whenever she smiled or laughed. And whenever she frowned because of a customer or because she was stressed from school, he wanted to tease a smile from her… Preferably with his lips.

He was flustered around her when he never had been before. And he missed the easy communication that they had always had together. It wasn't the same. And it was his fault. He just couldn't seem to get his dream out of his head. It made him look at her differently. He always knew she was smart and funny and nice…but now he had to admit that she was no longer a little girl. As he said before, she was a young woman, more than that; she was a woman who was coming into her own.

Meaning that she wouldn't be needing to hang around with simple bell hops much longer.

With a sigh Estebon continued to work although the spring had disappeared from his step. His heart was too heavy to allow it.

Maddie watched him from across the room. "What is going on with him?" She whispered to herself. "He's been like this for weeks."

At first, she had thought that the distance between them was because he was embarrassed that she had to wake him up in the staff room. Estebon was very dedicated to his job and he took great pride in doing it well. But with all the extra shifts he had been working she thought that it was perfectly understandable that he fell asleep. After a few days though, when he had still been skittish anytime she had approached him, she knew that wasn't the reason.

"It has to be something." She propped her chin on her hand and watched him closely. "Did I do something?" Mentally reviewing the last few weeks she couldn't think of anything out of the ordinary. "He was fine and then he wasn't. I just don't get it." She sighed in frustration.

After a moment or two longer of dwelling in self-pity she straightened up and squared her shoulders. "That's it. I am going to get to the bottom of this and I'm doing it today." She narrowed her eyes at him when he shot a look in her direction before quickly looking the other way. "Whether he likes or not."

That evening, Estebon let out a sigh of relief when he walked out the doors of the Tipton. The days were becoming much harder. He would have to find a way to deal with this new found realization, and he would have to find it soon. Or else he would drive himself crazy.

"What's the sigh for?"

He jumped at the sound of her voice and spun around. "M-Maddie? I, uh, I did not see you there." He swallowed thickly. "I thought your shift ended a while ago."

She raised an eyebrow. "It did. I've been waiting for you."

"You have?" His voice cracked on the first word. Clearing his throat he tried again. "You have?" She nodded as she advanced towards him. Though for every step she took forward he took one back. "Oh, well, that is nice but you see I have this…uh, thing to do and so I really cannot stay. I must go."

He turned to run but her voice, sharp and commanding, stopped him. "Not so fast, Estebon." When he still looked determined to run she continued. "I _will_ follow you home if I need to."

He sighed and hung his head. He knew her and she meant what she said. So he forced a smile on his face and some cheer into his voice and turned to face her. "What is it that you need, Maddie?"

She stepped close to him and laid a hand on his arm. She felt him flinch as soon as she touched him so she pulled back, surprised at how hurt she was by his action. Glancing down, she made sure to blink back the tears that sprang to her eyes before looking at him. "All I want to do is talk. Can we do that?"

He closed his eyes, hating the pain he heard in her voice. Hating the fact that he was the one who caused it. First and foremost, he had to remember that she was his friend. Whatever was going on, it was his problem, not hers. She didn't deserve to be ignored like he had been doing. "Of course." He reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it lightly.

The tears were gone from her eyes when she squeezed back and led him to the park across the street, her hand still held warmly in his.

As soon as they came to a bench she pulled him down beside her then drew up her knees, hugging them to her chest. Then she fixed him with a steely gaze. "Okay, what's going on with you?"

He blinked at her directness, but then, that was always something he admired about her, her ability to get directly to the point. Of course, that caused a light blush to kiss his cheeks and he stammered out a reply. "W-what do you mean?"

Her gaze narrowed. "That's exactly what I mean. You're not yourself around me anymore. You're distant and I don't like it. What happened to my friend?" She averted her gaze. "Was it something that I did?"

"No!" She snapped her head up in surprise at his vehement protest. He cleared his throat embarrassedly. "What I mean is, um, it could never be something you did. You are always so nice to me, so nice to everyone really."

She looked into his eyes, surprised by the warmth she saw there. She felt an answering warmth rise within her. She broke away from his gaze. "You deserve people to be nice to you, Estebon. You are one of the best people I know; so kind and caring." Shyly, though without knowing why, she reached across and laid a hand over his.

Before he could change his mind he flipped over his hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. "Maddie, I…" She looked up, the warmth that was in his eyes before erupted into something hotter, and her breath caught. "I mean, you…" Her stomach tightened and her tongue darted out to wet her lips. When he leaned closer, her eyes began to drift shut. "You…" His voice was deeper, huskier than usual and it was doing strange things to her. She made a questioning sound deep in her throat; waiting for, wanting whatever he was going to do.

But her sudden sound seemed to snap him back into reality. He sat up straight and quickly dropped her hand. As she blinked free of her daze he cleared his throat. "You are really a remarkable young woman and you should be proud of what you have accomplished." He stood up, carefully avoiding her wide-eyed gaze. "I'll, uh, I'll see you tomorrow."

And with that, he fled, leaving Maddie behind confused, flustered, and… slightly aroused. "What the _hell_ just happened?"

She walked home almost blindly after that, following the route by habit alone. That was odd…very odd. But she couldn't decide which was odder, how he acted…or her reaction. Just thinking about those last few minutes made her shiver in delight.

But she didn't know why.

She'd known Estebon for years and never once was she attracted to him. He was her friend; her very sweet friend. Sweet and funny, actually. And so thoughtful. And she had to admit that he really knew how to move…when he danced, she meant.

And he was also rather attractive.

She stopped cold in front of her door. Where did that come from? She never found Estebon attractive…okay, so there were some times here and there that he did look rather nice…okay, very nice. And, of course, there was tonight… She thought back to earlier and heat flooded her body. "I really thought he was going to…" She shivered at the thought of his lips pressed against hers. And she realized that she was actually disappointed that he hadn't.

She let herself into the quiet apartment, grateful that everyone seemed to be out at the moment. She needed a shower. A nice, cold shower. A little voice in the back of her mind wondered if Estebon needed one as well. She smacked a hand to her forehead but, unfortunately, once brought up the idea refused to dissipate.

Needless to say, she spent a long time thinking that night.

She thought back to the times she's spent with Estebon, all the situations she dragged him into and all the ways he helped her out. And she realized that she had always had a rather narrow view of him. He was a friend. That was all. But, after tonight, she couldn't help but see him, not only as a friend, but as a man. And that changed her whole outlook.

Friends, well the category of friend that she had kept Estebon in all these years, were practically asexual. Whereas men…well, a man had needs. She flushed a deep red. Well, a woman did too. And didn't he make a point of it to tell her that she was a woman. "A remarkable young woman," was what he actually said. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. So, maybe, she wasn't the only one reevaluating their relationship?

Finally, she slipped into slumber, a smile on her face.

She dressed with extra care the next morning. She chose the most flattering colors she had and wore her hair up in the way he had once commented looked "very pretty" on her. Of course, the entire time she was scolding herself for doing so. He was just Estebon and this was no different from any other day.

Except that it was.

Yesterday, her entire world had shifted and, if she was perfectly honest with herself, she liked the outcome. Estebon had always been a great friend and, now, she had every hope that he would be an even better…something else. She baulked at using the word 'boyfriend' because it sounded so juvenile. But then, she blushed anytime she thought the word 'lover' in conjunction with Estebon. Her awareness was just too new for comfort…especially after the dreams she had last night.

She gave herself one last glance in the mirror. "I'll just have to wait and see what today brings." With a deep breath she left her apartment and headed to work.

She kept a close eye out for Estebon but, even so, he was the one to see her first. Luckily for him, he was able to observe her from a distance without her knowing.

He was nervous about this meeting. He wondered if he was too forward with her last night, if he had made her uncomfortable. But she looked… she looked… stunning. He let out a quiet sigh as his body relaxed. It didn't seem like she was made uncomfortable by his actions last night. In fact, she seemed the happiest she's been in a long while; she practically beamed at the customers. He smiled but refused to entertain the idea that he was the cause of her happiness.

However much he would like to be.

"Estebon!" He jerked in surprise at the sharp tone. The desk manager signaled to a guest's luggage.

He nodded before turning to glance at Maddie who had zeroed in on him as soon as his name was called. She was no longer beaming but she didn't look upset or uncomfortable at his presence either. In fact, if he had to put a name to it, he would say that she looked…determined. He swallowed heavily and went to get the bags. He felt her eyes on him the entire time.

'How the heck did I miss him?' Maddie automatically made change for her customer while nonchalantly scanning the lobby. There was no way that she'd miss him again. And, sure enough, she finally saw him hanging back past her normal line of sight. Luckily for her she dropped that candy bar… four feet from her station. She snorted quietly. Like a flying candy bar was the strangest thing to happen in this hotel.

She caught his eye and cocked an eyebrow. He flushed and began to fidget, clearly uncomfortable under her gaze. 'But why?' she thought as she watched him scramble away again. She leaned on her counter, chin perched in her hand. "Well," she thought aloud. "He's either embarrassed about last night or he's scared. And if he's scared, what's he scared of?"

She kept a close eye on the clock and when she knew he took his dinner break, she made sure to take hers too.

Maddie stood outside the employee lounge and took a deep breath. "It's now or never." Closing her eyes and gathering her courage, she pushed open the door. And was met with the sight of Estebon once again sleeping on the couch.

She smiled, she couldn't help it, he just looked so cute sleeping there. He must have gotten as little sleep as she had but, as much as she hated to wake him, she finally had him cornered and she wasn't about to miss this opportunity. So she slid next to him on the couch and gently shook him. "Estebon. Estebon." She called to him softly.

Slowly he blinked the sleep from his eyes. "Maddie?" Her smiling face was close to his and her hand was on his arm. He brought his hands up, rubbed his face, and with a groan said, "Not again."

Confusion leaked onto her face. "What do you mean?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, nothing at all." He turned towards her. "So what do you need?"

Maddie cleared her throat, suddenly nervous. Did she really want to go through with this? She looked up and found his dark eyed gaze on her; sweet and caring, and she knew the answer had to be a resounding yes. "I just wanted to talk." She bit her lip. "We never really got to last night."

"I am sorry about that, Maddie. I just…" He trailed off, flushing slightly, but he couldn't seem to stop his hand from reaching out and covering hers. He felt much better when her other hand came to rest on his, sandwiching it between her own. He looked down into her sweet face and decided that if his only chance to tell her what he was feeling was in a dream then he would take it. He reached up and caressed her cheek and was pleased when she leaned into his touch. "I just didn't know what to say."

"Just say what's on your mind." She lifted her hand from his to hold the one cupping her cheek. She was starting to feel warm. It was the same warmth that flooded her last night. Her tongue darted out to wet slightly parted lips and she couldn't help but notice his gaze focused on them.

"Maddie…" 'Only a dream,' he told himself and he bent down to kiss her.

Maddie closed her eyes in bliss. It was slow, gentle but, oh lord, was there heat. He gently moved his mouth over hers, making the kiss slow and exploratory.

And she melted.

Never. Never had she been kissed like this. He was treating her like she was something precious. His lips caressed hers softly, stoking the flame inside her and she began to burn. She ran her hand down his arm and rested it on his forearm. He deepened the kiss and she moaned in pleasure.

After a moment he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. Breathing heavy and eyes closed, he took a few seconds to get his breath back. "This is wrong."

As breathless as he, Maddie croaked out, "Why?"

"You're just…" His eyes, when he met hers, were lost and full of pain. "You are so great Maddie. Really wonderful. And so young and innocent. I just-"

"Shh." She darted forward and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. When she pulled back she smiled brightly. "I may be young but I trust you. You are a wonderful man, Estebon." Her smile widened. "Besides, seven years really isn't that much you know. Not between us."

Instead of appearing relieved, he closed his eyes as if in pain and mumbled, "I must stop this." Then, to her confusion, he reached over and pinched himself. But when he opened his eyes again he met the confused face of Maddie. "It didn't work. Let me try again." And once more he pinched himself, hard. When that did not work he stared at her, wide-eyed and confused.

Maddie shook off the surprise and narrowed her eyes. "What the hell are you doing?"

He swallowed hard. "Uh, this is not a dream?"

"No." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you mind telling my why you thought so?"

Estebon looked sheepish and embarrassed. "Well you see, the, uh, last time was one and I thought that this one was as well because I didn't think that you would really do this and because it is sort of like the last time but, you know, slightly different because I did not you and, like I said, I never thought that you…" He finally met her eyes. "Do you actually feel the same way?"

Maddie blinked. "I think so." His face started to fall so she hurried on. "I mean,' she smiled lovingly, 'you said everything so fast. Am I right in thinking that you like me, that you like what we were doing?"

He nodded, too nervous yet to offer her a smile. "Si. Yes. I'm sorry."

She traced her fingers against his cheek. "Don't be. If I didn't like it, I would've told you." And before he could fully process what she said, she reached up and kissed him…and it was even better than the first time.

'This is real. This is real. Maddie's kissing me and it is real.' These were the thoughts that were repeating in his mind as he angled his head to deepen the kiss, putting all his emotions on display. Soon she was straddling his lap, her hands buried in his hair and his hands were caressing the outside of her thighs.

With a groan of reluctance, Estebon gently pushed her back. She whimpered in response but he didn't pull her back, however much he wanted to. "Maddie." His voice was deep and husky, it sent a tingle through her body and she tried to press another kiss to his mouth but he prevented her. "Maddie, I think, maybe, we should go on a date first."

She blinked down at him. His face was flushed and his eyes were full of passion… but they also had hope in their dark depths. 'He wants more than passion and kisses,' she realized. She smiled brightly and pressed a gentle kiss to his parted lips. When she pulled back she nodded. "I would love to, Estebon."

The smile he sent her was big and, really, just a little bit goofy but it was the best thing she'd ever seen. It was something entirely Estebon.

This would be new territory for both of them, a transition from friend to lover…but it was something to which they both were looking forward. With great pleasure.

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AN: Well, there you have it. I hope you enjoyed yourself. Please feel free to let me know what you thought of it. I love reviews! Thanks.


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